Parakiore's hydroslides rack up 33 incidents in first month - and council admits the design is partly to blame

Wednesday, 21 January 2026

Christchurch's new Parakiore hydroslides have recorded 33 incidents in just over a month, with the council admitting design flaws are partly to blame.

Two-thirds of those incidents involved cuts. Seven resulted in bruises. Four were riders getting stuck.

The culprit? Body slides with handles at the top, a narrow entry point, and a surface that's “potentially more abrasive than it should be,” according to facilities establishment programme manager Craig Hutchings.

“There's rider error in terms of people really trying to take off fast,” Hutchings said. “[And] there's design issues there, in terms of that gap is not that big, and potentially more abrasive than it should be.”

The council has already smoothed rough joints, boosted water flow, and added more lifeguards in an attempt to reach “zero incidents”.

Press reporter Elsie Williams discovered the issues the hard way while testing the slides before opening day. She launched herself down the fast body slide and slammed her elbows against the sides - earning a cut, a lingering bruise, and an incident report.

It's their most common injury, with Hutchings confirming “a number of people” have done the same.

The 33 hydroslide incidents are part of 163 total incidents logged at the $500 million facility since it opened on December 17. The council reports anything requiring first aid as an incident, which also includes lost children, inappropriate behaviour, and people needing assistance - not just injuries.

The council is working with Australian slide manufacturer Swimplex Aquatics - the first time it has used the company - to review handle placement and make further modifications. Swimplex was selected after a tender process that drew “significant interest” from major slide manufacturers around the world.

Hydroslide sessions, which take 50 people per hour, have been booked out at least a day in advance in most cases since opening.

“While we still have incidents, we are still working with Swimplex to identify those things that we can be doing better, from both an instruction point of view, and the hydroslide itself,” Hutchings said

The council is also considering whether to station a lifeguard at the body slides to increase safety, as riders are currently expected to “self-moderate” their launches.

“Hopefully these are just commissioning things where we can make those small tweaks,” Hutchings said.

“It's important that the rider maintains their control within their own limitations as well,” he said.

The trapdoor slide - New Zealand's only trapdoor hydroslide - has also caused problems, with riders suffering friction burns or grazes from not leaning back enough during the 75m drop. The tube slide had a couple of incidents early on with riders getting stuck in the bowl, particularly younger children who didn't maintain the correct body position, though increased water flow has reduced these.

Hutchings said riders who follow lifeguard instructions and displayed rules - which warn against sitting up or changing position - “should be right”.

“It's important that the rider maintains their control within their own limitations as well,” he said.

Despite the teething problems, the facility has been hugely popular with more than 100,000 visits in the first month.